AI Damage2020 Lexus ES: common problems
Owners of the 2020 Lexus ES filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and service brakes. The maker issued 31 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 18
- involving a crash
- 3
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 31
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 44% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 3 Forward collision avoidance 11% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 6% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 6% of all complaints
- Air bags: 8 complaints (44% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Forward collision avoidance: 2 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (6% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
- Engine: 1 complaints (6% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 2.5 L · hybrid · 4 cyl
- automatic, 8-speed
- CVT
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 18 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Communication | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Other | 4 | 1 | 4 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact stated that while his father was driving at 35-37 MPH down a hill, he applied the brake pedal, but the brakes failed to respond. The contact continued to pump the brake pedal. The driver moved the gear shifter, attempting to slow down the vehicle.
The contact's wife had no control of the steering wheel. The contact stated that the vehicle made a hard right turn. The contact stated that his wife tried everything to stop the vehicle, however the vehicle was uncontrollable.
I have four invoice tickets from the lexus dealer where I brought the car in specifically for this problem. They had someone to drive it with me in the car, and of course we were not able to duplicate it at that time. I left the car with them for 3 days on one occasion.
The front timing chain cover on the engine was leaking at 53k miles. This is a 2GR-FKS engine. We have had the car for 19k miles, and bought it as a Certified Pre-Owned. We're looking at spending over 10% of the purchase price of the car on a repair, after barely having it for three years.
I had my adaptive cruise control turned on. The car in front of me slowed down. My adaptive cruise control did not slow me down so I applied the breaks. The breaks did not work. The breaks did not slow me down or stop me. My pre-collision system did not activate.
There is an active recall for my vehicle involving the passenger airbag potentially not deploying. This is a huge safety risk and the remedy is still not available. The active recall was first initiated in December of 2023.
Lexus has open recall on 2020 lexus es350 since dec 2023 with no remedy provided. It is extremely negligent of them to have no solution while drivers of their vehicles are putting their passengers in extreme risk of their safety for air bag sensors not working properly.
The recall numbers are (23LA03, 23LB03 and 23V865) these were issued in December of 2023, which has been more than a year. Lexus has provided a rental car for all this time, which demonstrates this recall is a safety issue.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,291 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 39% least complained about).
On average one model year of the ES has 6 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 18, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- OBSOLETE NOTICE February 2, 2026
This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0004-26.
- Some 2018 – 2025 model year Lexus vehicles equipped with the Enform™ 2.0 Navigation System, require a…
Some 2018 – 2025 model year Lexus vehicles equipped with the Enform™ 2.0 Navigation System, require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
- Some 2005 – 2026 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a…
Some 2005 – 2026 Lexus vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
- Some customers may experience operational difficulties with some telematics features which they cannot…
Some customers may experience operational difficulties with some telematics features which they cannot resolve on their own. These resources, in conjunction with the Repair Manual, are for dealership personnel to…
- The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air…
The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and…
- To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to…
To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the…
- The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master…
The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost. Once the system is reset, all previously registered keys will be erased and can never be reused…
- Some 2010 – 2026 model year Lexus vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of Rapgard™
The paint stains may appear to be under the clear coat but are usually under wrinkles in the Rapgard™. The wrinkles may trap water and cause the paint to stain from the trapped moisture, especially on horizontal…
- OBSOLETE NOTICE January 27, 2025
This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0006-25.
- Some 2018 – 2025 model year Lexus vehicles equipped with the Enform™ 2.0 Navigation System, require a…
Some 2018 – 2025 model year Lexus vehicles equipped with the Enform™ 2.0 Navigation System, require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software. The SST is…
- Frequently Asked Questions CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM 24LE01 Certain 2019 -2021 Model Year ES300H Certain…
Frequently Asked Questions CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM 24LE01 Certain 2019 -2021 Model Year ES300H Certain 2021 Model Year ES250 Certain 2019 -2020 Model Year UX200 Coverage for Flow Shut-off Valve Coolant Leak
- Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Lexus’ New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 48 months or 50,000…
Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Lexus’ New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 48 months or 50,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Lexus care about the customers’ ownership experience. Lexus is providing…
NHTSA lists 31 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Lexus ES?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, service brakes, forward collision avoidance. Total complaints: 18. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (6%), brake failure (6%), jerking, harsh shifts (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2020 Lexus ES?
NHTSA lists 31 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2020 Lexus ES from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2020 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.